How to Get Motor Oil Out of Clothes

Have you ever been working on a car and have gotten oil on your jeans? It turns out it’s tough to clean. But don’t worry, we can tell you how to get motor oil out of clothes.

Grease works its way into our jeans and our shirts, and we despair about how to remove motor oil from clothing. Our tips come from experience removing many stains, including motor oil. Baking soda and even just hot water are necessary ingredients used to remove the motor oil.

Many household chemicals can also help with this problem.With just the items in your home, even when the motor oil hides between cotton threads, you will be able to make motor oil stain remover!

Tips on Getting Motor Oil Out of All Types of Clothes

One of the most straightforward solutions to removing oil stains is just aloe vera. It has some bioactive compounds in it, like amino acids.

How to Get Motor Oil Out of Clothes with Aloe Vera

These amino acids react with the oil, making it easier to remove from your clothes. This solution may also work for other types of stain removal. You can try to remove crayon from a wall, for example, and get the same type of results.

Rub the aloe vera on the motor oil. Scrub it in with a toothbrush, but not too hard as we don’t want to damage the fabric. Let it soak in for an hour, then throw it in the washing machine with warm water or hot water.

Air dry afterward to make sure the stain is gone.If you also have other stains like grease, click on this link for tips on removing grease stains.

Try Out This Motor Oil Stain Remover

Another trick to removing engine oil and other liquid stains from clothing is a dry powder like cornstarch or baby powder, talcum powder or baking soda. To remove oil stains before you launder, all you need to do is pour the dust on the stain.

For our talcum powder recipe, all you need is one cup of dry powder. Pour it on the stain directly, give it a few hours to soak up the liquid oil, and brush or wash the powder off.

If it’s not clean enough, repeat steps until you are satisfied. Rub some laundry detergent in with a toothbrush before you launder it, and you should have a clean garment after the washing cycle.

The extra advantage of using baking soda to remove an oil stain is that it can effectively get smells out of clothes without washing them, too.

Getting Motor Oil Out of Clothes by Blotting

Of course, we have to be careful when cleaning up motor oil. One of the first things we should do is to blot up the excess oil. To DIY it, we need a dry cloth to remove stains. But before you start blotting up the liquid, read the washing instructions. We don’t want to do something that will harm delicate fabrics.

After that, find the most absorbent material in your house. A dishcloth, paper towel, or even microfiber works. Lay the material on top of the stain, and it should soak up the excess liquid. After a few repetitions, you should have removed much of the oil.

How to Remove Motor Oil from Clothing by Presoaking

Presoaking is something we should always do with dirty clothes. It allows the detergent to better bond with the dirt or grease stains. Make sure you soak it in the hottest water.

Don’t throw your motor oil stained clothing in the sink without consulting the care label. It might have some instructions you have to follow. If the instructions tell you it’s okay, use your old toothbrush to carefully rub in some dish soap first. Let it sit for about two hours before you throw it in the wash.

Even with these tips on how to wash black clothes with stains, the process is still tricky. Make sure you take extra care with your dark clothes.

You Can Remove Motor Oil Stains with WD 40

If WD 40 can remove old gunk on cars, and even remove crayon from a wall or table, it can certainly get car grease out of clothes. It is designed to break down the molecular bonds on adhesives, like stickers and it will even remove some stains from the most absorbent upholstery.

Be careful when applying the WD 40, as it can damage delicate fabrics. Use a Q-tip to apply the product to reduce the impact on the material.

On sturdier fabrics, like jeans, you can be a little more robust. Pour one teaspoon on a stain and let it soak. After a few hours, rub in liquid dish soap or laundry soap with your thumb. Now it’s ready to throw in the washing machine.

Now your clothes should be stain free. You won’t need to take them to the dry cleaner, after all.

If you have to remove motor oil stains from your driveway, check out these tips we have for you.

Shampoo is Another Great Motor Oil Stain Remover

Shampoo has something called a surfactant that makes it easier for the soap to find the dirt. It’s also a great stain remover for soft fabrics.

As this link from the University of Purdue shows, many motor oils are organic. That’s why shampoo works on them. Use the mixture as a pre-treatment on delicate fabrics by rubbing it in on the stain.

Use your fingers, a sponge, or a paper towel. Anything soft will do. Wait a few minutes before rinsing.You may need to repeat this strategy multiple times to be 100% sure the stain removal has worked.

How to Remove Motor Oil from Clothing with Nail Polish Remover

Acetone is an excellent organic solvent. It works by attracting the oil molecules and bonding with them, making a weaker stain. That’s great for us because it bonds with most motor oils to make them easier to remove. Many houses have nail polish remover, where acetone is a significant ingredient.

Like WD 40, acetone can be harsh on clothes, so if your clothes are delicate, use a Q-tip to dispense it. You may want to try it out on an inconspicuous area of the garment first, as don’t want to damage it.If it’s okay to use, cover the oily stains with the acetone, and rinse it off after ten minutes.

Repeat until you are satisfied with the stain removal. Should you still need some help removing a stain, use a cup of white vinegar in the washing machine. As a bonus, this will also remove diesel smell from clothes.

Once you have done this, your dishwashing detergent should take care of the rest of the stain.

Once you have followed these steps for removing motor oil and the accompanying smell from your clothing, you can avoid dry cleaning your clothes.

If these few tips on how to get motor oil out of clothes helped you, let someone else on Facebook know so they can benefit, too.